Falling Still
by WhoMe-2
Summary: With Rose nine months pregnant and feeling a little glum at the prospect of three months still remaining, the Doctor makes a drastic move to lift her mood...he attempts a gesture of romance. ** 6th in the Falling Slowly series**
1. Chapter 1

**A/N **I've had a few requests ever since "Falling Slowly" for a certain article of clothing to make another appearance, so for those who've asked your wish is finally granted. ;) This little addition to the 'Verse will be in two parts, and it's pure fluff.

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><p>The Doctor stood quietly in the doorway of the bedroom he and Rose shared, hands in his pockets and leaning his side against the open door as he studied the sleeping form of Rose in their bed. Her features were soft and relaxed in gentle slumber as she napped, fatigue having overtaken her midday, as it now frequently did. It struck him then, though not for the first time, that this sight before him was quite possibly the greatest wonder he had ever witnessed in his exceedingly long life.<p>

Rose – now his wife, his bond mate, and pregnant with his child. If he had once been given a glimpse of this future he never would have even come close to believing it could ever be true. Yet here they were. Not only that, but they now shared a life which, due to the changes this pregnancy had brought to Rose, would not be lost to him all too soon due to heartbreaking brevity.

Yet despite the miracle of it, that didn't mean it all came easily. Rose was now entering her ninth month of pregnancy, and it was becoming one of the most difficult for her. She was feeling more and more drained and more uncomfortable. Due to the twelve-month duration of the pregnancy she had been smaller than average size for quite some time, and now that the baby was growing in earnest in this last quarter term the marked increase in size seemed sudden and put her at more discomfort. And the discomfort she was feeling wasn't at all eased by the knowledge that she still had three more months to go.

With this arrival of the nine-month milestone, it just made her weariness all the more acute. Though Rose had not mentioned this or complained about it, the Doctor knew she had to be thinking that if this was a normal human pregnancy she would be ready to give birth by now – not left with a quarter of a year still remaining. The Doctor was aware that carrying his part-Gallifreyan child was more of a strain for her than any other human woman would've had to endure in a typical pregnancy.

She didn't complain, though. But he could tell her mood as of late was becoming just a little glum. Though Rose had experienced some ups and downs with her moods during the pregnancy, she had never been what could be described as an emotional wreck. Easily teary now and then maybe, and then there was an incident that involved a glass of blue banana juice and the Doctor's head, but in all fairness to Rose he _had_ rather deserved it at the time. Her emotions had remained mostly stable though, and even now she wasn't overtly glum or moody. Mostly she was just tired and beginning to feel less and less attractive, though he had assured Rose that he found her to be the exact opposite, which was absolutely true. The Doctor couldn't keep his eyes or his hands off her. He adored her like this. He adored her in any state. She was Rose. And she was his. Those two reasons alone were more than enough to drive him completely mad for her, whether she was carrying his child or not.

Watching her now as she slept atop the deep blue duvet, one hand resting across her swollen belly, the Doctor was struck by the idea of wanting to do something special just for her. The only problem with that thought, though, was that he tended to be rubbish at this sort of thing. Oh, he'd managed a few romantic acts here and there. Some notably impressive ones if he did say so himself, like trips to their own private bungalow in Antigua. And true, he had made personal leaps and bounds by chipping away his armor and now being able to tell and show Rose how he felt for her. But making romantic gestures was an area that was still far outside the realm of his comfort zone. And Rose wasn't really the type who needed that sort of thing anyway. But still, most women did appreciate such things now and then, didn't they?

It didn't have to be a trip to the forty-first century for a candlelight dinner on the Moon. Those reservations were hard to get, anyway. No, if he could just think of something that would have personal significance for her; some way to demonstrate again just how much she meant to him.

This could be dangerous, the Doctor thought to himself as his posture stiffened just a bit. Him, thinking along the lines of romance. If this kept up, next he'd be observing things like...Valentine's Day and anniversaries! The Doctor paused in thought. _Was_ he supposed to observe things like Valentine's Day and anniversaries? He made a mental note to ask Pete about that sometime. The Doctor shuddered slightly at the domesticity of his thoughts. He could almost see a Northern-accented version of himself smirking at him in the back of his mind. The Doctor determined he would make the effort for Rose, though; and _that_ showed just how much this pink-and-yellow human had turned him upside down.

The Doctor stepped out into the corridor and paced a bit, his thoughts ticking off a list of possible ideas. Rose was now more gorgeous than ever and he wanted to show her off. He wanted to do something Rose might not think she was even in the condition for just to prove to her how sexy she was, despite her thoughts to the contrary. He wanted...

The Doctor came to a stop. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. And it was something that would also have special meaning for both of them, he thought a bit smugly, rather pleased with himself for his clever idea. To really carry this off, the Doctor wondered if he still had...?

He stepped back into their room and quietly walked over to the wardrobe. He opened it, and a quick glance inside identified what he was seeking. And being right at the front, apparently the TARDIS approved of his idea, too. The Doctor bundled up the clothing and took it out of the room. He'd change in another room later to surprise Rose and add to the effect.

-:-:-:-

When Rose woke a little while later, she opened her eyes to find the Doctor in the room with her, sitting cross-legged at the foot of the bed. He was facing towards her but his focus was on some sort of device in his hands that he was fiddling with. It looked like a part off the console, and Rose assumed he'd moved his tinkering in here so he could be near her. It wasn't the first time he had done so, but the fact that he did still filled Rose with a pleasant sensation of warmth.

Still a little sleepy, Rose was content just to watch him quietly as she lay on her side, one arm tucked under her head. She loved watching him like this, his slender fingers making meticulous movements, eyes focused intently as he peered down at the device in his hands through his glasses, his dark tousled fringe falling over the upper rims of his specs.

He glanced up at her once, and when their eyes met, a slow forming smile came to his face. "Hello," he greeted as he set aside what he'd been working on.

"Hello," Rose answered back. She yawned. "Whatcha doin'?"

He pulled off his glasses and tucked them into the pocket of his jacket. "Weeell, a more appropriate question for someone such as myself is what am I _not_ doing. Ultimate multi-tasker, me." Rose rolled her eyes fondly as she smiled and stretched an arm behind her head. "Let's see. I have been...overhauling the Transit Switch because activation of the Vortex Primer has been getting a little sluggish, and while doing this I was also calculating the calibrations needed to adjust the Symbiotic Relationship Circuit's Briode-Nebuliser in order to keep the Dematerialization Circuit in tip-top shapetamundo..." He paused and frowned. "And I am _never_ saying that word again. Where was I? Ah yes, while at the same time I was counting your breaths per minute during stage two sleep as your theta brain waves started to spike – call it a hobby – and also telepathically brushing our son's mind to say hello and keep him occupied because I could sense he was getting alert and active and I didn't want him kicking you awake until you'd finished your nap, and all of this while planning a rather fantastic evening for us, if I do say so myself."

He moved up the bed and stretched out on his side next to her, his head propped on one hand with the other reaching out to lie atop her curved belly.

Rose placed her hand over his and smiled as she tipped her head up towards him. "You've been busy."

"Me? Naaah. I was just relaxing."

She chuckled. "For you maybe, but for..._ohhh_." Rose stopped mid-sentence as she breathed out softly, looking down at her belly.

He glanced at her face and back down to her rounded middle. "Where?" he asked quietly, voice laced with excitement.

She wrapped her fingers around his hand and moved it a little lower. "Here," she whispered. "Feel it?"

His brows knit together in intense concentration before a slow, beaming smile lit his face. "Well, you're wide awake now, aren't you, Mr. Jack Peter Tyler?" He pushed Rose's white cotton T-shirt up a little so his hand could rest directly on her stretched skin, fingers probing gently. "Is that a foot or a knee, do you think?"

Rose rubbed her tummy next to his hand, a look of contemplation on her face. "I'd say it's a foot. He's gonna be a runner like you, and he's already practicing."

The Doctor hummed happily, fingers continuing to stroke softly. He tipped his head back up to look at her, the hand on her belly moving to her face, his palm sliding along her cheek. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," she answered, staring back into his soft eyes. Rose sighed. "I just wish I wasn't so tired all the time, leaving you with nothing to do but...count my number of breaths per minute."

He shook his head gently, a finger gliding over to trace the shell of her ear. "Your body is working overtime growing another living being. That takes massive amounts of energy, and needing more rest is to be expected. Besides, counting your breaths wasn't _all_ I had to do. I was also..."

Rose laughed softly. "Yeah, I know. You were doing some jiggery-pokery to the whatsit while thinking about recalibrating the...somethin' or other."

His lips quirked up in a smirk. "Those technical terms?"

She shrugged. "I learn from the best."

Rose moved her own hand to his cheek, sliding around behind his neck and moving her fingers up through his hair at the back of his head, idly stroking. "You said you also had _fantastic_ plans for the evening. Does that mean you're gonna rub my swollen ankles?" she asked with a touch of mirth, but he could tell she was feeling a little down again.

"I will be more than happy to massage your gorgeous, if not slightly edematous ankles." He waggled his eyebrows. "Or perhaps a full-body massage. But! Before that, I have something else quite fantastic in mind," he boasted, then moved his face closer to hers and dropped his voice low. "And it's a good thing you're now well rested, because you're going to need it before this night is through."

The Doctor closed the small space between them and pressed his lips to hers. He moved against her mouth, soft and slow. His tongue stroked out and traced a circle around her lips, coaxing them open. Rose welcomed him inside, his cool tongue gliding along hers and mapping every recess of her mouth until she was left breathless.

Throughout this pregnancy the Doctor had been increasingly insatiable, and Rose knew if they kept this up much longer any further plans he might have for the evening would fall by the wayside. His hand went to her shoulder and pulled her closer, then slowly traveled down her body until he reached the hem of her shirt and crept underneath, moving higher, fingers stroking in tandem with his tongue, and Rose soon forgot why abandoning any further plans would be a problem.

"We could just stay here and keep doing this," she suggested on a raspy whisper as his mouth left hers and began a meticulous exploration of her throat.

"Mmm," he growled into her skin. "Could do, you wanton temptress who has thoroughly distracted me."

"You started it," she reminded him, her ability to breathe normally having abandoned her as her voice came out breathless.

His open mouth descended back down on hers, kissing her soundly. He eased back just a fraction, his dark, hooded eyes gazing into hers. "And I have every intention of finishing what I've started. Believe me. But I also promise that if we put this on hold right now the wait will be worth it."

Rose lifted an eyebrow, both seductive and challenging. "You can wait? You haven't exactly had much control since...well...since we bonded and you no longer _had_ to have control."

The Doctor rolled to his back, taking several deep, cleansing breaths through his nose as he reined himself in, intent on proving he could regain his self-restraint. Rose's hand came out to rest on his knee, then slowly journeyed up his thigh. He cracked an eye open, peering over at her. "You're not making this any easier."

"I'm not trying to," she replied teasingly. "_But_..." Rose removed her hand and he both sighed in relief and groaned at the loss. "I _am_ curious to see what you have planned, so I better stop distracting you or I'll never find out."

He grinned, rolling off the bed and hopping to his feet. "C'mon then. Up you get!"

"Easier said than done," Rose muttered as she maneuvered herself up to sit.

"Take as long as you need to get ready," the Doctor said, though he was bouncing slightly on his heels, as if he wanted to just take her by the hand and run. The Doctor remembered he had some changing of his own to do though, so he turned to slip out of the room, but stuck his head back through the door to add with a waggle of his eyebrows, "Put on something sexy."

Rose snorted as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. "And which pair of sweatpants would that be?"

"Well...," he considered, his head tilting upward in thought, "I _do_ have a fondness for those brilliant, easy-access elastic waistbands..."

Rose chuckled and shook her head as he slipped out the door. She drew in a heavy breath and stood. She walked towards the wardrobe but was uncertain of what to even wear. He wanted her to put on something sexy, but she didn't think that was a possible option among her selection of maternity wear. She glanced down at her gray sweatpants and sighed. Well, if he _really_ did fancy her in these then it shouldn't be much of a challenge to top this look.

She opened the intricately carved dark wood doors of the dimensionally-transcendental wardrobe and peered inside. She and Jackie had done some maternity clothes shopping together, but a few special items had appeared in the wardrobe here and there that always fit Rose like a glove, and it seemed the TARDIS had worked her magic yet again. Rose lifted a hanger and took out a dress that was near the front. She held it up before her and smiled. For the first time in weeks she was actually looking forward to wearing something for a reason beyond just practical comfort. Maybe she actually _could_ pull off looking sexy, Rose thought.

Rose put a little more effort than she had as of late in applying her makeup. She hadn't exactly been letting herself go, but she hadn't made an effort to look glamorous, either. She didn't overdue the look. Her taste had toned down a little from when she was nineteen and she was a little less heavy-handed than she'd once been with the mascara. She did accentuate her eyes just a little more than usual for tonight's look though, finishing with a smoky eye shadow. She styled her hair in a loose up-do, a few soft blonde ringlets framing her face. After Rose had slipped on the dress, she moved to the full-length mirror to examine the finished look.

The silky soft dress was a deep crimson, the empire waist cinched beneath the bust and accentuating her, thanks to the pregnancy, rather ample cleavage as the halter style then rose and tied behind her neck. The flirty skirt skimmed her knees in a handkerchief-style hem that swished pleasantly against her legs when she turned this way and that. A pair of matching, strappy flat sandals completed the look, the stylish shoes actually quite comfortable.

The look was flirtatious and fun, and as Rose looked back at her reflection she actually _felt_ quite sexy. Despite the Doctor's insistence of how attractive he still saw her as being, Rose had a hard time seeing it herself here lately as her hips and belly continued expanding. She loved being pregnant and would gladly sacrifice a slim physique for the sake of something so incredible. But still, it was nice to be in something that didn't have an elastic waist for a change and that reminded her she was still a desirable woman.

After a final glance, Rose turned from the mirror and left the room to join the Doctor and find out just what he had in mind for the evening. When she came down the corridor and into the console room, Rose halted in her tracks upon seeing the Doctor. His back was to her as he stood fiddling with something or other on the console. Her breath caught halfway up her throat as her eyes traveled over him. He wore a deep crimson, snug-fitting T-shirt (coincidentally the same color as her dress) with matching dark red trainers and..._the jeans._ He was wearing the same pair of slim, dark denim jeans she had only ever seen him wear one other time. The effect on her was the same as it had been the first time. In a word, _Guh!_ The Doctor was gorgeous in anything (or nothing) and she wouldn't want him to give up the slim suits and ties, but something about the jeans just brought out a different side of sexiness.

He turned and caught her eyes, and his reaction to her own appearance showed he was in equal appreciation. He leaned back against the console, arms folded and one ankle crossed over the other, trying for a casual pose to match his attire and carry off the effect, but she could see his Adam's apple bob in his throat as he swallowed hard. Dark brown eyes followed a slow path down her body, visually caressing every ample curve and causing Rose to flush with heat, her cheeks tinged just a bit pinker by the time his heavy-lidded gaze locked on hers once more.

"You," he said slowly, pushing off the console and stalking towards her, "are _gorgeous_."

He stopped in front of her, just inches from their bodies touching, and traced a single finger along the line of her jaw, sending a shiver through her. Rose swallowed. "I was going to say the same thing about you."

He arched one brow, tilting his head slightly. "Slim and a little bit foxy?"

"Mmm," Rose breathed out, her hands coming to rest on his waist and then skimming down ever so slowly to his denim-clad hips. "Definitely." She looked back up into his sparkling eyes. "This is a _very_ good look on you."

"Even better than the pinstripes?" he asked with nonchalance.

Rose placed a hand on his chest, torn between wanting to have a tie to tug and pull him closer by, but loving that there was only a single layer between her hand and his wiry pectorals. "Oh, I _love_ the pinstripes, too. But you know what they say about variety...and spice."

A slow, heated smile curved his lips. "Well, you just might find that things are going to get even spicier."

"That a promise?"

"That's a fact."

His hands went to her back and drew her as close as her belly would allow. Her own arms wrapped around him again, trailing down his back, to his firm bum. She gave a light squeeze through the jeans and heard his subsequent intake of breath. "These jeans seem to have made you awfully confident."

He gave her a sexy smirk. "You should know by now, no matter how devastating I am in any type of trousers, that the confidence is all my own."

"And so is the humility," she quipped.

He sniffed proudly. "I am a Time Lord of many qualities."

Rose shook her head, chuckling. "So, is your confident, devastatingly-gorgeous, and humble self planning to take me somewhere, or are we just going to stand here and list your qualities?"

The tip of her tongue made an appearance between her teeth as she grinned at him, and the Doctor had half a notion to scrap his plans in favor of staying right here and giving a thorough, detailed listing of a few of Rose's own qualities. _Later_, he told himself as he cleared his throat. "Actually...we're already there. Where I planned to take you, that is. I set the coordinates while you were getting ready. So...," he loosened his hold on her and turned, offering his hand, "shall we?"

Rose grinned again and took his hand as they walked down the ramp and out of the TARDIS. They stepped outside, and Rose glanced around to familiarize herself with where and _when_ they were. When traveling by TARDIS they could literally be anywhere. It was evening, the weather was mild, and it appeared they were on Earth at the corner of an alley leading out to a moderately busy high street. They emerged onto the sidewalk, and Rose instantly recognized the gray stone buildings of Kent Street.

They were back in Kendal, the very place that had been their home for four months when separated from the TARDIS. And more precisely, they were in front of the club the Doctor had followed her to the night she'd gone out with another man. It was an act of jealously and possessiveness and the first time Rose knew without a doubt that the Doctor's feelings for her were far beyond casual or that of simply a traveling companion.

It was also the night her heart had broken when, after confronting him and asking straight on for him to say once and for all if they were ever going to be anything more, he had backpedaled, _again_, after coming so close, and it had left her shattered. The pain, however, had not been for nothing. It was the night things between them finally began to shift past the point of turning back. And even though the moment had broken her, it had also begun breaking down the walls that had stood between them once and for all.

Being here again and remembering acutely the pain she had felt that night – especially now, knowing what they have and how much they almost let slip through their fingers – was nearly overwhelming her every emotion.

The Doctor stepped up beside her, placing an arm around her shoulder as he spoke quietly. "I thought...maybe we could make this a better memory the second time around."

Rose lifted her eyes to his, tears gathering and forming pools that spilled over and splashed down her cheeks. Her hand rose to her mouth to choke back a sob that had risen up in her throat as she turned slightly from him.

The Doctor's hearts dropped when he saw her reaction. The last time they had been here he had driven her to tears, and now he had done it again. What had he been thinking? Now the Doctor knew _exactly_ why it wasn't in his nature to make attempts at romantic gestures. He was complete rubbish at this sort of thing. He mentally kicked himself in the seat of his blasted jeans and hoped that somehow he could manage to make up for this.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N **This doesn't quite reach the point of being M rated, but there are a few parts to this I'd definitely give a strong T rating.

Thanks so very much to everyone who has reviewed! You're the reason I've kept writing even though my schedule has been threatening to bring my typing fingers to a halt. I've had a blast with this series, and I can only hope you've enjoyed it at least half as much!

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><p>The Doctor moved quickly to stand in front of Rose and placed both hands on her shoulders, his eyes frantically searching hers and pleading apology as his mouth did the same at rapid speed.<p>

"Rose, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Rose. Please don't cry. We'll get back in the TARDIS and forget we ever came here. We can go anywhere else you'd like. _Anywhere_. Maybe dinner on the Moon instead? Or how about an anti-gravity restaurant...with bibs?" he suggested in desperation, oblivious to the passersby doing a double-take and edging past just a bit faster. "I just thought that...well...we could relive a memory and do it right this time." He shook his head, berating himself. "But _of course_ you wouldn't want to remember this. It didn't exactly end well the first time. It was a stupid idea to come back. But that's me. I'm thick sometimes. So very thick. Especially when it comes to...to _things_ like this. I'm rubbish at romance! Did you know I once almost caused a war on Sheegren Six because I extinguished their Sacred Flame on the Mountain of Fervor? I thought I was preventing a wildfire. I mean, you see a roaring blaze on a mountaintop and think _Danger_! Right? Turns out the incense given off was a Sheegren aphrodisiac used during mating season, and I...well...I essentially killed the mood for the entire planet," he admitted with chagrin. "But that's me! I'm rubbish and thick and...Rose? Um...are you...are you _laughing_?"

"'M sorry," she managed to choke out between peals of laughter. "It's just that you're completely mad, and I love you so much!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. After a beat, his arms came up around her, his face wearing a look of confusion as she giggled into his shoulder.

"I'm...I'm guessing that's good, then?" he questioned dubiously.

Rose's laughter died down and she eased back, her eyes sparkling back at his. "It's _very_ good. And I love that you thought of coming back here. This isn't entirely a bad memory, you know." She gazed over his shoulder to the entrance of the club, her voice softening. "You made my heart stop when you followed me here. I never expected you to do something like that in a million years. And that's when I began to know for sure just how you felt, even if you hadn't been able to say it yet." She turned her eyes back to his. "And I think coming back here again is brilliant."

The Doctor's confidence soon returned as he stood a little straighter and sniffed. "Well, I _do_ have my moments of sheer brilliance."

Rose gave him a slow, teasing smile. "Of course you do. Just ask the people of Sheegren Six."

His ego flattened again as he frowned. "Now that I've told you about that you're never going to forget it, are you?"

Her smile became a wide grin. "Probably not anytime soon, no."

The Doctor let his arms slip from around her as he stepped back. He then extended his hand and wiggled his fingers along with his eyebrows. "Well in that case, let's see what I can do to push it out of your memory, for tonight at least."

"You gonna show me your moves?" she asked, feigning innocence as they walked towards the club.

He threw her a smoldering look over his shoulder. "Rose Tyler, you just watch and see."

Trailing a little behind, she let her eyes drop down to his firm, denim-clad bum. "Oh, I already am."

Once inside, the Doctor and Rose wound their way hand-in-hand through the crowded club. There was some seating off to the side of the dance floor, and after ordering some non-alcoholic cocktails they sat together at a small table, not even noticing anyone but each other, much like the first time they had been here. Their dark wooden chairs were scooted close together so they could hear each other talk over the din, and also because they very much enjoyed the proximity.

"So...," the Doctor began, one hand propped under his chin and the other lightly stroking Rose's forearm where it rested near him on the small round table, "I've never really asked. What were you thinking when you saw me walk in here that night?"

She gave a short laugh, dipping her head slightly before raising her eyes back to his. "I was thinking about a dozen things at once. I couldn't believe you had really followed me here, I couldn't believe you were actually wearing _jeans_, and I couldn't believe how much I could want you so badly while being so angry with you at the same time. And then you wouldn't take your eyes off me, and it was like...like I could feel electricity down my spine just from the way you were lookin' at me," she confessed, replaying the memory and feeling an echo of the same shiver ripple across her skin.

"Just the thought of you being with anyone else made me a little insane," the Doctor admitted, and Rose was struck again by just how much things had changed. There was a time when the Doctor _never_ would have confessed such a thing. "Or rather, it brought me to my senses. But I wasn't trying to intimidate you that night, Rose. The whole situation was making the blood pound in my ears and I literally just _couldn't_ take my eyes off you."

"Well, it was _definitely_ mutual," Rose said, reflexively leaning into him a little closer. "And then after I confronted you and you asked me to dance, I didn't even know if I could because I felt..."

The Doctor slowly leaned his face in closer to hers, hot breath caressing her ear as he spoke in a low, throaty voice. "Weak in the knees?" He nuzzled the side of her face, then placed a ghost of a kiss just below her ear as he whispered, "Do I weaken you, Rose Tyler?"

Rose was sure he could hear her whimper considering his closeness. She really shouldn't let him get away with being so cocky, but she couldn't help it. He _did_ weaken her. "Yes," she replied breathily, turning her face towards him until their lips nearly touched. She wasn't at his mercy without a few tactics of her own, though. Rose knew she had the power to buckle his knees herself with just a look, a word, or a touch...

Her hand slipped down from the table and came to rest on his knee, then ever so slowly traveled up his thigh. Their eyes remained locked, her own challenging him to break the heated stare. He couldn't. The desire within the caramel depths of her eyes held him captive. Her hand stopped, then smoothed back down to his knee before slowly moving back upwards once more, coming dangerously close to a region that would have him at her mercy. Possibly begging – either for her to stop or _never_ to stop. She moved down again, then back up and a little more inward this time as she ascended his thigh, adding the slight scraping of her nails. There was an added rush for both of them skirting this closely to such intimacy in public. But Rose also had the boldness of knowing her arousing movements were mostly hidden by the table. She felt his thigh begin to quiver as she moved higher still. She honestly had planned to get close but no closer, but then his pink tongue came out to moisten his lips and she impulsively moved further up and in with a single, slow finger.

His eyes closed of their own volition as a growl rumbled in his throat. Rose leaned in and brushed her lips just below his left sideburn, then echoed his own question back to him in a sultry tone as she repeated the movement, languid yet deliberate. "Do I weaken you, Doctor?"

His dark eyes snapped open and instantly locked on hers. He swallowed thickly. "In some ways, very much. But in other ways you make me...," he moved in closer, "quite _firm_."

Rose smothered a laugh behind her unoccupied hand. "Oh, you did _not_ just say that."

He snatched her wicked hand up in his grasp, nipping at her wrist. "You're the one who is...feeling me up under the table. So I think I have a right to be a little less than eloquent."

Before she could respond, he moved his lips towards hers and she moistened them in anticipation, but he stopped just before touching and spoke low, his breath puffing across her lips. "I would very much like to dance with you."

"Here or in the TARDIS?" she replied provocatively.

"_Both_. But first here." He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles, an almost demure gesture after what her wayward hand had been doing. "Dance with me?"

Utterly lost in his eyes, Rose's first instinct was to say yes without second thought, but then she hesitated, thinking of the limitations of her current state. She hadn't planned to actually be able to do much dancing. Just being here was enough. Reliving the memory of that past night, with the Doctor now withholding nothing of himself from her, such a stark contrast to how they had once been, was enough to make this more than a special evening for her. Rose glanced out to the semi-crowded dance floor where couples were lettin' it loose to the fast tempo of a pop beat. She brought their joined hands down to her belly, his dark eyes momentarily softening to infinite tenderness. "I'm not exactly in the best form for this, in case you hadn't noticed," she replied with a tentative smile.

"Oh, I've noticed," he responded happily, gazing at her belly. He lifted his eyes back to hers and saw her expression draw back. "That is...I've noticed your gorgeous pregnant form, but I _don't_ agree that you're not up for this. Allow me to prove it to you," he requested, standing up and still keeping a hold of her hand.

"But...," Rose slightly protested, standing anyway.

"C'mon!" he chirped happily.

The Doctor led her out to the dance floor, expertly weaving in and out of the crowd until they came to a stop at an open space where they wouldn't be jammed up against others. Rose glanced left and right at the revelers around them, knowing there was no way she could manage the current pace of the music. The Doctor released her hand and stood facing her, and both of hers came to rest atop her belly. "Doctor, I can't...," she began to protest again.

"Leave it to me," he said with confidence, glancing towards the DJ booth.

"But you can't just..."

"Oh, can't I just." With an enigmatic smile, he sauntered off towards the DJ.

Rose sighed, but couldn't help admiring the view as he went. He really should wear the jeans more often, she mused. She wasn't the only one admiring the view. Two women approached him on the way, both moving into his personal space. One of the women, whose short black skirt barely covered her knickers, Rose noted, placed both her hands on the Doctor's arm as she leaned in on tiptoes to speak into his ear, a seductive smile curving her full red lips as she then pulled back fractionally to lock eyes with his.

The Doctor glanced back over his shoulder at Rose. She merely smirked. It was a fact Rose had come to accept that there were times the Doctor simply drew women to him like a magnet – trees, courtesans – he just had that natural effect. And the way he looked tonight in those jeans? That effect was assured. He turned back and said something to both. The two women glanced back at Rose. One simply turned away, but the other clingy one with the not-enough-material-to-be-called-a-skirt eyed Rose up and down with a look of derision before speaking one more thing in the Doctor's ear and then finally stepping away.

Rose knew whatever the woman had said was undoubtedly less than flattering, and even though she had been feeling rather attractive tonight, she couldn't help but be a little more aware of her proportions again. The Doctor's eyes, however, when he glanced back at her one more time held a look of raw hunger. He had told Rose countless times how her carrying his child made him all the more consumed with desire every time he looked at her. If the current look in his eyes was anything to go by then now was certainly no exception, and Rose found herself unable to care less about anyone else's opinion with the Doctor looking at her in such a way.

It seemed the Doctor wasn't the only man who considered her desirable, though. Distracted by watching the Doctor over at the DJ booth, Rose didn't notice the man who was approaching her from the left until he touched her arm. He was in his late twenties or so, tall, dark blonde and considerably attractive.

"Would you like to dance, love?" he asked smoothly, dark green eyes glancing up and down and apparently liking what he saw.

Rose was a little taken back by the question. Surely she didn't look available. "No thanks," she replied with a polite smile. She placed a hand on her tummy. "The two of us might be a little more than you could handle."

He smiled lasciviously, his hand still resting on her upper arm. "Oh, I think I could handle you just fine."

Rose didn't even have a chance to respond before someone else was doing it for her. The Doctor suddenly appeared back at her side so quickly that she briefly wondered if he had a teleport device. His hand firmly gripped the other man's and promptly removed the offending appendage from Rose's arm before speaking gruffly. "And I could handle _you_ just fine as well. Would you like a demonstration?"

The man took a step closer to the Doctor. "Is that a threat?"

The Doctor's eyes flashed dangerously. "It's much more than that if it has to be. This woman, _my wife_, the mother of my child, is with _me_ and no one else. Is that clear?"

The man gave a short laugh, but it was clear the Doctor had made his point. "Tone it down, mate. I didn't mean any harm."

The Doctor took Rose by the hand and tugged her a little closer. "So long as you don't, then neither do I. Now run along. There's a good chap."

The man gave Rose one last glance before ambling away into the crowd. She just smiled and gave a little parting wave as he turned away. The Doctor tugged on her hand and smoothly pulled her up against him, his left arm then sliding around her back as Rose's arm went to his shoulder.

"I can't leave you alone for two minutes before the pretty boys start descending upon you. I'll have you know it's highly annoying," he quipped, but Rose knew his jealousy had not been in jest. He tended to be just a touch possessive at times.

"And what about you?" she retorted.

"Weeell," he drew out the word as he considered, "I suppose I am rather pretty, although I'd say more along the lines of devastatingly handsome, and I do often descend upon you..."

She smirked. "That's not what I meant. I'm talkin' about the women always falling at your feet, like those two just a minute ago."

He frowned. "They...they weren't 'falling at my feet.' Their balance was perfectly fine. They were just...saying hello."

"Riiight. And so was that bloke just a minute ago."

He sighed. "Fine. We're both magnets for the opposite sex. Call it our curse."

Rose chuckled, sliding her arm from his shoulder up to rest behind his neck. "You don't ever have to be jealous, you know."

"Who's jealous?" he replied, his voice rising a few notes higher.

"But for the record," Rose continued, ignoring his denial, "I sort of like it when you get all...manly and possessive."

His arm around her tightened. "Oh, I can get _very_ manly. Very manly and very possessive if that's what you'd like."

His head tipped forward to nuzzle the side of her hair, and despite the distraction Rose was about to reply to that last sultry statement when she finally noticed the change in pace of the music they were now swaying to. She pulled back to look at him. "Is it the psychic paper or the sonic screwdriver due the credit for the sudden change in music?" she asked, a smile lighting her eyes.

He lifted his chin proudly. "Maybe it's neither. Maybe it's due singly to my unmatched powers of persuasion." She arched a skeptical brow. "Oh, alright. It _would_ have been due to my powers of persuasion, but someone started pawing you and I had to make a rescue. The sonic was the quickest course of action so I could then get you back in my arms where you belong."

Rose sighed happily as she leaned in closer, not at all complaining. "This _is_ where I belong." The Doctor's smile was maybe just a little too smug for his own good, but she found it hard to object. Rose continued after a minute of contented silence as they swayed together. "I remember the first time we danced here like this. It felt so perfect and I was so afraid it couldn't last. Then when I _finally_ asked you how you felt and you just couldn't say it, I thought...I thought that was the end for us."

He placed a hand under her chin and tipped her head up to look in his eyes. "I know. And I'm sorry. I was just so afraid, Rose. Of this. Of everything. Of having and losing." He cupped the side of her face in his hand, his thumb tracing along the swell of her cheekbone. "Thank you. Thank you for giving me time, Rose. For waiting for me and not giving up."

"I told you I'd stay with you forever, and I meant it. No matter how much we could or couldn't have." She smiled back at him softly. "You _did_ take your time though, didn't you?"

"Mmm," he agreed, his hand sliding to the back of her head and pulling her forward to rest on his chest. "But some things are very much worth the wait."

She hummed in agreement, her mind trailing back in thought. "You once said it was a slow fall."

"It still is." She lifted her head from his chest to meet his eyes, open and bare before her. "I might have fallen slowly, but I'm falling still. I never landed, and I don't think it's possible that I ever will."

Rose trailed a slow finger along his jaw, a smile coming to her face and her tone light, despite the mist of tears moistening her eyes. "And you said you're not romantic."

"Well," he drawled, lips curving in a slowly-forming smile. "Like I said, I do have my moments."

"Oh, no arguments from me," she said, breathing out slowly as both arms came up to wrap behind his neck.

He pulled her as close as her belly would allow, relishing the feel of her body fitting snugly into his. They continued swaying in unison to the slow, sensual rhythm, the lights of the dance floor having lowered to a dim glow. Rose loved dancing with the Doctor. He was agile, naturally rhythmic and his body a perfect fit with hers. She made a mental note that they should do this more often. They matched each other step for step, moving as one. The Doctor's hands smoothed slowly down her back, nearly reaching the curve of her bum before sweeping back upward. He dipped his head forward and brushed his nose along her cheek, sliding to her ear where he kissed softly. She made a sound of appreciation that spurred him on as he drew her earlobe into his mouth and tugged lightly once, twice, then moved a little lower, pressing a warm kiss to the side of her neck as his breath fluttered against her skin.

Rose shivered against him, a feeling of thousands of little sparks tingling on her skin at that single point of contact and traveling outward in all directions. She wanted to pull him even closer and feel more of his body against hers, but was limited to just the press of her rounded belly into his. Reaching behind her, Rose took his hands in hers and lifted them away. He stopped moving for a second, unsure of what she was doing until she gave him a coy smile and turned, her back pressing firmly to his front as his hands settled around her middle. Rose's arms moved up and snaked behind her, fingers twining once again behind his neck as her head tipped back against his shoulder. His head dipped down once more, lips trailing along the side of her neck, breathing out slowly. Rose closed her eyes and savored the stimulating feel of his lips on her skin.

He was slowly building a fire inside her, and before long just feeling his lips was no longer enough. Rose wanted to taste his lips on hers. She turned her head towards him and that was all the encouragement he needed. His mouth found hers with ease, melding as one. The kiss was unrushed and sensual, both savoring the languid slide of lips on lips, but soon each craved to delve deeper and the angle didn't allow for enough. His hands moved up to her shoulders and turned her in his arms.

They separated for only a moment before the Doctor was moving back again, closing the short space between their already close bodies. His parted lips moved towards hers and Rose forced herself to take in a deep breath, as if she was about to plunge under water. She knew oxygen would be in short supply in a matter of moments. No matter how many times they kissed, he _never_ ceased to take her breath away each and every time.

But he paused then, his mouth just millimeters from touching, their breath mingling. A brief thought crossed his mind that they should probably take this somewhere less public considering the inevitable passion that was building, but sheer desire outweighed all rational thoughts as that final gap was closed and his mouth pressed to hers. The Doctor breathed out a long sigh of release as his arms circled her waist and drew her firmly up against him.

A rush of heat flooded through Rose from head to foot as his soft lips molded perfectly to hers, his full, bottom lip folded down slightly and top lip raised up and over hers. The memory of how much she had yearned for him the last time they had been together in this very place, yet thought this was something they could never have, only made her all the more desperate for him in this moment and lightheaded at the knowledge that she _could_ have all of him now. Rose's head felt like it was spinning and her hands came up to his shoulders just to steady herself. She was drowning in him, and neither one seemed to remember that there was anyone else around but the two of them.

Rose's hands moved to tangle in his hair just as his tongue began a series of dizzying spirals against her own. Rose instinctively moaned and opened wider, and he wasted no time taking advantage as his tongue stroked deeper into her mouth. Rose clutched fistfuls of his hair as he tasted and explored, his tongue gliding along hers and sweeping across the roof of her mouth as one hand moved up to cup her jaw and angle her head for better access.

The kiss became a desperate and frenzied battle of lips and tongues and teeth, and quickly moving into territory that was _not_ at all appropriate for public display. Whether it was logic that finally broke the kiss or a desperate need for oxygen it was hard to say; but they finally withdrew from each other, swollen lips slowly parting.

Rose felt another flash of heat shoot through her as she opened her eyes to look into the Doctor's, dark and dilated and boring into hers. "W-we should go dancing more often," Rose finally managed, breathless.

He pressed his forehead to hers, the rough timbre of his voice akin to a growl. "Rose Tyler, the dancing hasn't even begun."

They weren't exactly in a prudish atmosphere, but their zealous affection had already drawn the noticeable attention of a few around them. One silent look at each other was all the agreement needed between them that it was time to move their dancing to a much more private location.

As they left the club hand-in-hand, Rose didn't realize she was still capable of moving with such speed. But they slowed when they reached the TARDIS, the Doctor guiding her in with a firm, steady hand on the small of her back. Rose could feel the anticipation coiling within her. She loved it when he was a little frantic and out of control, but tonight there was slow, intentional precision in his every move. He was going to take his time and she wasn't in the least opposed to the idea.

They reached the top of the ramp and he pressed up behind her, dropping a string of lingering kisses to the back of her neck as his open palms smoothed a slow path up her arms.

"Thank you," she whispered as her eyes fell shut.

"Mmm," he breathed out across her flushed skin, "it is very much my pleasure."

She smiled faintly. "I mean for everything tonight. Not just this."

"I'd do anything for you, Rose. You know that," he murmured into the side of her neck.

Rose tipped her head to the side to allow him better access, quickly losing herself to his attentions, but after a few seconds his words caught up with her and she tensed. He didn't seem to notice as his lips slid to her shoulder. "This was all just about me, wasn't it?" she questioned quietly.

"Only you," he agreed, his hands sweeping up and down her arms as his lips found her ear, drew her lobe into his mouth and sucked lightly.

Rose fought to tamp down the surge of heat rushing through her from his body pressed to hers, his hands on her skin and his open mouth setting off sparks everywhere he touched and tasted – all threatening to distract her from anything and everything else. She drew in a deep, shaky breath and moved forward out of his embrace, turning around to face him from a few steps away. His eyes slowly opened, his mouth slightly parted and a questioning look on his face. "You never would have done this otherwise," she concluded.

"What?" he questioned, still looking thoroughly snogged and now half dazed, and Rose had to fight the urge to bring that gorgeous face back to hers and forget all else.

Her arms came up to wrap around herself as she remained where she was. "Were you just doing this to try and make me feel better? Because I'm...I'm..."

"Because you're what?" he asked, genuinely flummoxed and wondering how things had suddenly started to derail when they'd been progressing rather magnificently.

She shrugged, dropping her eyes. "Feeling a little glum, tired, less than attractive. You...I dunno...felt sorry for me."

"Rose..." He stepped forward, reaching for her as she took a step back. He breathed out heavily, running an agitated hand through his hair. Over nine hundred years, and he didn't think he would _ever_ come to fully understand women. What had he done wrong? "_Yes_, I wanted to do this for you," he agreed. "But that doesn't mean I haven't enjoyed it, too. This wasn't just some...some act to try to make you feel better or try to make you _think_ that I still see you as attractive. I wanted to do something special for you because I _love_ you, and sometimes I think I don't communicate that well enough because, like I said, I'm just not good at that sort of thing. But I assure you this was _not_ an act of...of pity! The only pity I feel right now is for myself because these jeans have become painfully constricting, and you're beginning to dash my hopes of being able to remedy the situation," he finished, his voice rising higher in exasperation.

She couldn't help the watery laugh that escaped at that as her defenses came down. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "I s'pose my emotions have just been sort of jumbled up lately."

He took another step forward. "Rose, I know this hasn't been an easy pregnancy for you, right from the start. And now as the baby has grown even more you're becoming uncomfortable, and unlike most women you've still got a ways to go. This isn't easy for you, and I only wish there was more I could do. And I will do anything I can for you. But this...," he gestured between them, "this is, as selfish as it sounds, as much for me as it is for you. I need you, Rose. And I want you so much that sometimes it's all I can think about, which is at times disconcerting because before this, before _us_, I was used to having more control."

Rose took a step towards him and reached out, taking his hand in hers as their fingers slid together. "Do you wish you could have more control?" she asked, biting her lower lip between her teeth and unconsciously pulling his control down a notch lower. "Do you wish you could sometimes just take my hand and let it stop there, like before?"

His smile began slow and didn't stop until it overtook his face. "No. Never. This...ohh, shall we say side effect? This effect of bonding with you that so often pulls down my barriers of control is very much worth the frequent distraction it causes me."

"Is that what I am, then? A distraction?" she asked coyly, moving even closer and sliding a hand up his chest.

He tugged her against him, his hands settling on her hips. "Among many other things. But also most definitely a distraction." He ducked his head and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "A consuming fire..." His lips traveled to the edge of her jaw. "A pink and yellow obsession stuffing every crevice of my giant brain..." Rose giggled, jostling his lips that had now found the pulse point of her neck. "Laughing at someone while they're in the process of seduction hardly instills confidence," he complained against her neck.

"Can't help it," she replied with a smile lifting her voice. "You're daft."

He pulled back with a slightly wounded pout and looking more than slightly adorable because of it. "What have I done now?" She laughed again. "You see! There you go again."

Rose slid her hands up to his shoulders. "But I love that you're so daft." He started to speak in protest but she silenced him quite thoroughly with a long kiss. She then eased back. "I love that you don't always know the most romantic things to say but you try anyway. And I love that sometimes when you're not even trying you can say things that take my breath away. And I love that you don't _have_ to try and seduce me because I always want you as much as you want me."

His eyes darkened and twinkled simultaneously. "Does that mean we can get back to doing the brilliant things we were doing before we started all of this unnecessary talking?"

"Are you saying you're still in the mood for...dancing, then?" she purred.

He stared at her, incredulous. "Rose Tyler, do you even have to ask?"

To make quite certain he proved his point, quick, clever fingers slipped up to the fastening of her dress behind her neck, but Rose reached up and took his hands in hers, shaking her head. She had other priorities. "Not yet. You have no idea how many fantasies I've had about taking these jeans off you. Now come 'ere." She hooked her fingers in the waistband and pulled him forward.

He grinned wolfishly, letting Rose have her way. "I thought you _liked_ me in these jeans."

"Oh, I do," she assured him, pulling his T-shirt up and over his head. She paused for several seconds as she took a lingering look at him, now shirtless. Rose swallowed hard. _Dead sexy_ was fairly accurate, but not even close to adequate. She let his shirt drop from her hands to the floor, and slid her flat palms over his strong chest and down his firm abdomen until she reached the dark denim at his waist. Rose pressed a kiss to the corner of his jaw as she lowered her voice. "But seeing you in these just makes me want to see you _out_ of them."

"A true paradox," he concluded sagely, then momentarily stopped talking altogether, his breath hitching as her hand snuck lower, repeating the movement she had tortured him with earlier in the evening.

"Ohhh, you were right," she spoke in a sultry tone, lifting hooded eyes to his. "These jeans are _very_ constricting, aren't they?"

"Not for long," he growled, his swift hands assisting in their removal.

-:-:-:-

Hours later, the Doctor lay asleep, his body curved around Rose in contented, post-coital slumber. The tops of his thighs rested behind the backs of hers, his bent knees pressed behind her own. His arm was draped over her side with his hand resting upon her belly. Rose had drifted awake and now didn't want to fall back asleep just yet. She was content just to rest like this in the Doctor's embrace. Her hand moved up to cover his, stroking lightly down his fingers as his breath came out in soft, even puffs against the back of her neck. He was sleeping so peacefully, and it was a rare treasure.

Though he often stayed with her through the night, whenever she would wake his eyes inevitably were always on her, watching over her as she slept. And though less frequent now than they had once been, there were still times, during the nights he did sleep, when nightmares invaded and stole his peace. Their shared life and love had healed so many of his deep wounds, yet there were some scars that would inevitably always remain a part of him. But Rose had once told the Doctor, the first time she ever joined him in his bed after she'd woken to the sound of his agonized cries, that she would chase away his nightmares, and so often she did just that. The life they now shared had brought more peace to the Doctor's existence than perhaps he had ever known. That joy was only magnified now with the creation of their precious, impossible child.

Yet despite not only his acceptance of this child but now his unhindered joy over the baby, the Doctor rarely mentioned Janyeer. He still avoided talking about what had taken place there. Rose hoped in time he could reach a point of making peace with all that happened in that place. She wanted to suggest they go back some day to bring closure, but she knew the Doctor wasn't ready for that. Not yet. _In time_, Rose told herself as she cuddled back closer to the Doctor and his hold on her instinctively tightened to pull her in closer still.

A soft smile came to her lips as she thought again of what the Doctor had done for her tonight just as another way of showing her his love. It seemed every day, whether in big or in small ways, her love for him only deepened and she fell a little further. And like him, Rose knew the moment she had fallen that she was never going to land.

Falling together, Rose wrapped her fingers around his as she closed her eyes and joined the Doctor in his dreams.


End file.
